The slicing of meat roasts for serving on dinner menus of restaurants presents serious cost-control, weight-control, and quality-control problems. Meat roasts have a wide and non-uniform range in weights: from about 8 lbs. to 32 lbs. The portions that must ultimately be served to individual diners have a much narrower range in weights: from about 4 oz. to 12 oz. The various animal carcasses from which the roasts are cut yield whatever sizes and conformations their natural marketing weights and shapes produce. The restaurateur must then take these imprecise and non-uniform natural sizes and shapes and slice them down into precise-sized slices and weights for serving to his customers. They must be tailored to a rather narrow and exact price and weight acceptable to the restaurateur's customers. He is thus confronted with purchasing meat that lacks precision in weight and shape, while being required to serve his customers with portions that must be quite precise in weight and shape.
Whether on a-la-carte (each item individually priced) or on composite-dinner priced menus, restaurants must know the cost of each individual item. Of the several items normally comprising an average full-course dinner (soup, salad, meat, potatoes, vegetable, beverage, dessert, bread and butter) the meat entree is usually the most expensive and, in the case of roasted meats, the most difficult for which to figure cost.
In addition to their odd and non-uniform shapes, the reason meat roasts are difficult to cost-control is that they can be portioned only after roasting. They must be roasted in their entirety and then sliced for individual servings afterward, while they are hot and flabby, and thus difficult to handle and control while slicing into them. By contrast, steaks are pre-cut and pre-portioned before broiling, while they are cold and firm-bodied, and thus easy to handle and portion-control while slicing into them.
When meat that has been roasted with its bones left in and then sliced, it is impossible to slice it into portions of equal weight and uniform thickness and size. The bones, and the spacing between the bones, effectively prevents portion-control slicing. As a result, many restaurants prefer to buy their roasts with the bones removed, then rolled, tied, and held together with strings. In the meat trade this is known as a boned, rolled, and tied roast. But, while this is an improvement for slicing-control purposes, it still leaves a non-uniform, oddly-shaped (for uniform slicing purposes) piece of meat. While it can be theoretically portion-controlled-sliced by hand, for all practical purposes it cannot.
Of the various boneless meat roasts from beef, veal, lamb, and pork, one of the most difficult and most expensive to portion-control and slice is boneless beef ribs. Because of this, we will use boneless beef ribs as the exemplary item of this invention, with the understanding that the problems and their solutions also apply to the other boneless meat roasts.
Several interrelated factors and their ensuing problems combine to make portion-controlled slicing of boneless ribs of beef extremely difficult. It is a practical impossibility to achieve and maintain close portion-control over the size, weight, thickenss, and therefore the cost of each sliced portion with the manual methods of the prior art. These factors, and the problems they create are as follows:
1. The problem of extremely odd and non-uniform shapes
Boneless beef ribs have a tapered shape; wide at one end and narrow at the other end; curved on one long side and relatively flat on the opposite long side; relatively thin on one long side, and relatively thick on the opposite long side. Furthermore, this odd shape will change somewhat from rib to rib. The ribs will range from shapes that are relatively long and narrow to those that are relatively short and bulky. All of these differences increase the difficulties in producing uniform portion-controlled slices for individual servings.
The prior art has devised various methods for altering the irregular natural shape of boneless beef ribs into shapes that are more suitable for uniform portion-controlled slicing. The most frequently-used methods are: (a) boning, rolling, and string-tying, and (b) compressing the meat into an enclosing stockinette or plastic tube. However, such methods produce certain deleterious results: (a) the compressed and/or roll-distorted meat has its juice cells squeezed and broken by these methods and the result is an excessive loss of juice during roasting; (b) then before or after slicing, when strings, stockinette, or plastic tube must be removed before serving, the once-confined meat has a tendency to fall apart and release the otherwise confined juice. In any event, the results from these methods are so deleterious to the valuable ribs of beef entrees that they are seldom used by restaurants for such entrees.
It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide a method and means for better portion-controlled slicing of boneless ribs of beef that will retain the natural shape of the ribs while making it easier to compensate for the natural irregularities of shape.
2. The problem of hot meat
Meat entrees on dinner menus are normally served hot. For purposes of slicing, this means that the meat is flabby and its surfaces hot, oily and slippery. The heat and slippery surface makes it difficult to handle, hold, and maintain in a firm position for positive, even slicing. The flabbiness produces a movement within the meat itself that renders it very difficult to slice down thru the meat evenly.
It is an object of this invention to provide a method and means for slicing meat roasts that will enable the slicer to have more positive control over a hot, flabby, slippery piece of meat.
3. The problem of hand-slicing per se
When large numbers of servings are required at one time, for example at banquets, restaurants may use a slicing machine to slice a boneless rib. The machine is faster, and the uniformity of the slices more controllable than with hand slicing.
However, for normal every-day servings, most restaurants prefer to use hand slicing for three reasons:
a. The need to keep the meat hot.
For a dinner menu, ribs of beef must be hot. Continuous slicing while the meat is still hot is normally impossible because of the intermittent demand for this item. The chef may receive a half dozen orders for roast beef one minute, and then no more orders until 10 or 15 minutes later. In the meantime, the remaining (unsliced) portion of the rib must be placed back in the oven to be kept hot.
b. The need to reduce handling.
Unless the hot rib is continuously supported on a flat-surfaced movable base-board, which it is not with machine slicing, the physical handling and lifting by hand required to move the meat in and out of an oven and/or an oven pan, results in:
1. repeated squeezings of the meat as it is lifted, held and moved, which, in turn, produces PA1 2. breakage of juice cells, leakage of valuable meat juices, and drier, less palatable meat.
The hot meat is much easier to handle, and much better for maintenance of quality, if placed on a slicing board that can be moved in and out of a hot oven, without being damaged by the oven's heat, and on and off a table, without actually handling, moving and/or lifting the meat itself by hand from its fixed position on such a hand-slicing board. But a simple slicing board, such as many restaurants now use, still leaves unresolved the basic problems involved in portion-controlling the weight uniformity of hand-sliced portions.
It is an object, therefore, to provide a hand-slicing board on which the meat can be kept hot while remaining in a fixed, flat, untouched position, while at the same time incorporating other features that will answer other basic slicing problems.
4. The problem of exact weights.
Restaurants purchase their meat by weight. Therefore, if they wish to maintain control over the cost of the meat they sell, they must also maintain control over the weights of the meat on their menu entrees. To do this, the weight of each slice that is served should be known and controlled. However, under the present state of the art this is a practical impossibility. The extreme non-uniformity of the rib's shape precludes the possibility of slicing portions of equal weight when the judgment of the human hand and eye in making a slice are the only determinants of what the weight of the finished slice will be.
This practical impossibility of producing slices of approximately equal weights from a boneless rib of beef is a source of constant and major irritation to a restaurateur. To prevent losing money, the restaurateur must price his slices considerably higher than would be necessary if his slicing was accurate. He must do this to compensate for inabilities of his kitchen personnel to slice accurate weights. Even the most experienced and skilled chef is unable to slice to accurate weights.
It is an object of this invention to provide a hand operated method and means which will produce (a) more accurate uniformity in the weights of slices cut from a boneless rib of beef, while at the same time (b) eliminate dependency on human hands and eyes to determine the uniformity in the thicknesses of such slices.
5. The problem of visible equality
In addition to controlling the weights of portioned slices, it is also desirable that there be a visible appearance of an equal quantity to each restaurant patron. A patron may feel cheated if he observes another patron receiving a larger and thicker appearing slice than he is being served. So, for appearance sake, there should be sufficient compensation between the surface area and the thicknesses of slices so it will appear that the actual quantities by weight served are indeed substantially equal.
It is an object of this invention to provide a manual method and means for slicing boneless ribs of beef that will increase the thickness, while the broad surface area decreases, of individual slices, as the meat is sliced from the broad end to the narrow end; so that the changes will represent a visible compensation in weight.
6. The problem of various thicknesses
To produce slices of uniform weights it is necessary to produce slices of various thicknesses. Because the conformation of the whole rib is so lacking in cross-sectional uniformity from end to end, and from side to side, changes in the thickness of slices must constantly be made in order to maintain equality in weight. Stated another way: to portion control the weight of each slice, adjustment must constantly be made in the thicknesses of the slices; to control weights per slice, compensation must be made in the thickness per slice. However, to control manually and visibly, and judge only with the hand and the eye, the constant changes in thickness necessary to produce a semblance of uniform weights in the slices is, for all practical purposes, an impossible task. Even the most skilled chefs cannot do it.
It is an object of this invention to provide a hand-operated method and means for slicing meat roasts to more uniform thicknesses without depending on the human hand and eye to judge thicknesses.
7. The problem of uniform thickness within each slice.
To produce uniform weights for each slice, it is obvious that each slice from the same area of the rib should be of uniform even thickness within itself. But this, too, is not easily accomplished with previous hand slicing. Even if a meat roast was perfectly uniform in shape, the human hands and eyes are not sufficiently reliable to produce an even thickness within every individual slice. A slight change in the angle of the knife from the perpendicular, and/or a slight deviation of the knife from being at a right angle to the length dimension of the rib, will produce a considerable change in the uniform thickness and weight of a slice. Even experienced, steady-handed, and steady-eyed chefs cannot cut a perfect uniformly thick slice every time.
Uniform even thickness within each slice is also desirable to avoid any feeling by the restaurant patron that he may be cheated in his particular serving of meat. If one end of a slice is thicker than the other end, he may feel that the thick end represents the thickness he is paying for, while the thin end is cheating him of his due.
It is another object to provide a manual method and means for producing uniform thickness within each slice.
8. The problem of keeping slices erect while slicing.
The desired portion-controlled weight of slices from a boneless beef roast will normally range from 4 oz. to 12 oz. per slice. The 12 oz. slice will normally range in thickness from 1/2 inch at the thickest end of the rib to 1 inch at the narrowest end of the rib. For a 4 oz. slice the thickness will range from about 3/16 inch to 3/8 inch. A boneless rib will range in thickness from about 3-1/2 inches at the narrow end to about 6-1/2 inches at the thick end. These dimensions represent the range in maximum widths of a slice of whatever thickness. Thus a slice which is 1/2 inch thick may have a width of 6-1/2 inches.
When a rib is being sliced, it will be lying with its length dimension horizontal to the board or table on which it is resting and its thickness dimension vertical to the resting surface. Therefore, a slice which is cut from a 6-1/2 inch thick section of a rib will be resting on a base of only 1/2 inch (the thickness of the slice) immediately after slicing.
When a roast is cold the juices are congealed and the meat is firm. It can be sliced without having the meat slices collapse under their own standing weights. But after roasting, the juices are fluid and the meat is flabby and its slices will collapse under their standing weights. For example, the slice at the thick (6-1/2 inch width) end of a roast immediately after it has been sliced may be relying on a narrow 1/2 inch base to hold erect a 6-1/2 inch height of 12 ounces of hot meat. Under the present state of the art, this slice would normally collapse and become twisted and distorted. In so doing, the distortions produced in the slice would act to squeeze out and lose valuable protein juices.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a manual method and means for holding a slice of hot roast meat erect in the same vertically-level plane in which it is sliced, and, thereby, prevent its collapse after it has been sliced.
9. The problem of transferring a finished slice from the situs of slicing to a serving plate.
After slicing, the hot flabby, slice must be transferred to a serving plate. Under the present state of the art, this is sometimes done with a large spatula; or a broad carving knife plus hand support under the areas not supported by the flat of the knife. But more often the meat is simply picked up by hand, with its accompanying finger-squeezing of the meat and consequent loss of some juices. In any event the meat is at least partially distorted and/or stretched so that some cell tissues are broken and protein juice is lost.
It is a further object to provide a manual method and means for transferring a hot slice of roast beef from slicing board to serving plate while the broad side of the slice is completely supported in the same flat, level, plane in which it was sliced, and maintain this plane at its broad side level from its original perpendicular position in and on the slicing board to the horizontal position on a serving plate.
10. The problems of sanitation
a. Juice
Most restaurants today are inspected by local government officials for cleanliness and sanitation. A conscientious restaurant manager wants good cleanliness and sanitation even without government requirements.
Slicing of hot boneless ribs is a messy operation under the present state of the art. As the cook slices, the meat excretes juices which, if not contained, can quickly spread across a slicing table and onto the floor. After slicing, the table and/or other surfaces and apparatuses need careful and thorough washing and cleaning. Under the present state of the art, this can be an extensive chore if the juice has not been confined, by constant wiping, to the area immediately surrounding the meat. In any event, the valuable juice that has run onto and away from the slicing surface is lost.
It is an object to provide a method and means for confining and collecting the juice excreted during slicing so that it can be used in making gravy; and prevent it from spreading across relatively large areas that must be cleaned up; and/or into any difficult, and/or impossible-to-clean, areas of the slicing board.
b. Cleaning
To further assist in the problem of attaining an ideal state of sanitation, the preferred embodiment of my invention has as a further object, to provide a structure that is completely devoid of hinges, springs, crevices, butting joints, and/or any other parts that are hard to clean after disassembly.
11. The problem of curing all the problems
The need to provide a simple, easy to use, reliable hand-operated method and means to cure all ten of the preceding problems is ageless and unfilled by the prior art. Even more needful is a method and means to cure these problems in one single, simple, easy-to-use, reliable tool that will enable even an unskilled person in a restaurant kitchen to produce the desired results.
It is therefore, a principal objective of this invention to provide such a tool.